Program suspensions, longer waiting periods, tougher evidentiary burdens and stricter eligibility criteria are just some of the policy changes that are making it more difficult -- and more expensive -- for refugees to reunite with family members. And according to a new Caritas report, that comes with hidden costs for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees and their ability to integrate in host countries.
Research suggests that as European governments tighten family reunification rules for refugees and migrants, increasingly complex and expensive procedures are keeping families apart and taking a heavy emotional and psychological toll, not just on the migrants themselves, but potentially on their host societies too.
A new report, "Family Reunification: A right, not a privilege", released on June 4 by the charity, Caritas Europa, has documented a growing European trend where member states are tightening family reunification rules through suspensions, waiting periods, tougher evidentiary burdens and stricter eligibility criteria. The increasingly restrictive process is particularly impacting unaccompanied minors and people with subsidiary protection status, states the report.
Among the country policies highlighted in the Caritas report:
- Austria suspended family reunification for six months in 2025, mainly affects Syrian refugees. This year, it introduced a new quota-based system.
- Germany implemented a two-year suspension of family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection in 2025. Before that, reunification had already been capped at 1,000 relatives per month since 2018. Similarly, Syrian refugees were among those most affected.
- Belgium tightened rules on family reunification that included a two-year waiting period, proof of sufficient income, housing, and stricter evidence of family ties. Belgium's Constitutional Court suspended parts of the law earlier this year pending further legal review,
Read AlsoThe Netherlands adopts a two-tier asylum system, limiting family reunification
Deliberate bureaucratic burdens
Even where family reunification remains legally possible, growing administrative hurdles are making the process harder, more expensive and, in some cases, dangerous, state the report's authors.
"These are deliberate bureaucratic burdens that make it almost impossible to comply with the requirements," Leïla Bodeux, senior policy and advocacy officer at Caritas Europa, told InfoMigrants.
According to Caritas, in order to apply for family reunification, applicants are often required to produce official documents that may be difficult or impossible to obtain. For people fleeing conflict, proving family ties can involve securing marriage certificates, birth certificates or other documents from countries affected by war or political instability.
"Four to six months may sound like a long time but for an asylum seeker, this can mean collecting documents from countries that are not safe or traveling considerable distances for embassy appointments. All of this takes time and money," Bodeux said.
In their report, Caritas hope to underline that migration policy should also take into account the emotional anguish of prolonged family separation enforced by more restrictive policies. Family reunification should be viewed as a key part of integration rather than a migration-management tool. Research cited in the report suggests that refugees who remain separated from close family members are less able to invest in education and skills, while delays can have long-term effects that extend to children and future generations too.
"The bureaucratic procedures take time, energy and money. This is all time, energy, and money diverted from other aspects of life that impact integration like focusing on school, learning a language or finding a job," Bodeux said.
Chierno Sow, is originally from Guinea. He first came to Europe through the Netherlands and is now settled in Belgium with his wife and four children. Caritas Belgium assisted Sow through the process which he compared to "running an administrative marathon" that cost him more than 6,000 euros to cover administrative costs, travel expenses and other fees required to obtain documents.
"For years I was here in Europe and they were there. I missed them – without them, I was broken," Sow said to the report authors, who highlighted his case in their report.
Unaccompanied minors among the hardest hit
According to Bodeux, unaccompanied minors often experience the strongest emotional impact of separation while also facing some of the most complex legal and administrative barriers. In some cases, lengthy procedures can mean children reach adulthood before their applications are processed, potentially affecting their eligibility for family reunification.
For refugee communities across Europe, family reunification is becoming less and less of a practical possibility.
Caritas is urging EU governments to treat family reunification as a fundamental right rather than a migration-control measure by calling on them to end restrictive policies such as waiting periods, quotas and unequal treatment of people with different protection statuses. The report also called for simpler and more flexible procedures that reflect the realities of refugee families.
"Families should not be rejected solely due to missing documentation. Authorities must accept alternative forms of evidence and apply a flexible approach to establishing identity and family relationships," stated the report.
Their message, even when made more difficult, refugees will not stop wanting to be with those they love.
Read AlsoFrance: The long road to education for unaccompanied minors